Multicultural Literature

Multicultural literature is a way to raise cultural awareness. Through multicultural books, many young readers can connect with their own culture, or explore a better alternative culture. Writers introduce various cultures using various themes such as culture, politics and even personal barriers. Sometimes this type often reveals "the ugly root of the greatest literary work" (multiculturalism). The phrase "root of ugliness" highlights the culture that the reader does not want to hear.

This paper introduces a historical overview of research and reading programs and found that multicultural literature is a valuable learning tool and research on the lack of many years of multicultural literature in children's literature. Reasons for excluding cultural genuine readings within the norm are also discussed. Pioneer researcher Florez-Tighe (1983) was one of the first educators to advocate the use of multicultural literature in the school curriculum. Her research shows that culturally genuine children's literature can enhance the language development and thinking process of African-American children (Florez-Tighe, 1983). Florez-Tighe (1983) believes that teachers in the classroom use African-American folklore to show respect for African-American culture and to verify their self-worth (Florez- Tighe, 1983).

Through multicultural literature, children learn that all cultural groups have contributed greatly to civilization. Balanced multicultural literature projects include literature that explains people with different desires, different social classes, different occupations, and different human characteristics (Norton, 1985). As our country continues to show great diversity, the need to understand and accept people's differences has never been more important. Therefore, the task for educators is to propose effective multicultural education infrastructure that allows all children to learn to accept others.